To push forward Strategic Program of Internalization and implement the relevant work effectively, thus comprehensively promoting “Double First-Class” construction, Taiyuan University of Technology (TYUT) held, on the morning of April 7 in the 6/F conference room of R. R. Shaw Building, Yingxi Campus, a thematic meeting on internationalization. President Huang Qingxue attended the meeting, participated also by the heads of the relevant departments and the main heads of the colleges and the laboratories jointly constructed by Shanxi province and the MOE. The meeting was chaired by Vice President Liang Weiguo.
At the meeting, reports on the progress of internationalization and the work plan for 2020 of the “Double First-Class” key disciplines and colleges were delivered successively by their representatives, including Colleges of Mechanical and Vehicle Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Mining Engineering, and Safety and Emergency Management Engineering.
In his speech, Huang pointed out that internationalization, showing the essential attribute of colleges and universities, is the need to build China into a nation strong in higher education and the need to serve the “Belt and Road” initiative. Internationalization plays an irreplaceable role in promoting talent cultivation, scientific research, international profile and core competitiveness of universities. We should improve our understanding of the importance and urgency of internationalization, as it is an important instrumentality for the “Double First-Class” construction and a top priority for the University’s development. According to Huang, we should focus on scientific and technological innovation, establishing first-class disciplines with international reputation, forming more stable international scientific research teams and substantive internationally cooperative research platforms, and promoting the application of internationally cooperative research projects and invention patents. We should focus on core competitiveness through introducing and cultivating first-class international talents, and attracting more internationally renowned scholars, especially young scholars, to settle down and develop their careers at TYUT, who will lead the whole teaching staff to the international academic forefront at a fast pace. We should focus on students’ development by forming a talent cultivation system supporting global competence and improving foreign language teaching quality. We should, based on disciplinary strengths, speed up the construction of Chinese-foreign cooperatively-run education programs and institutions, steadily increase the recruitment of high-quality international students and rapidly increase the proportion of students assigned overseas. We should focus on the national diplomatic strategy and actively get involved in the “Belt and Road” Initiative. We should strengthen the process management of staff and students’ overseas visits, improve the reporting and communication system of outbound visits, promote achievement on international exchanges and cooperation and make a systematic overall plan on overseas study.
Huang stressed that the internationalization strategy is an overall project that needs top-level design and systematic promotion. It requires the relevant departments to take their due responsibilities squarely and do their jobs actively to fully integrate the internationalization strategy with talent cultivation, scientific research, team building, internal governance, and supporting and guarantee system and to establish an effective internationalization system and mechanism with a sustainable and strong guarantee of personnel, special funds and systems, which provide a strong impetus for the University’s “Double First-Class” construction, and lay a solid foundation for its path to a high-level university featuring internationalization and innovation.
In the summary speech, Liang Weiguo urged all relevant departments and colleges to develop a good grasp of the meeting’s essence, improve the awareness of internationalization and the international vision, promote the top-level design and strategic plan of internationalization, and take it as the driving force for the “Double First-Class” construction.
In-depth discussions were conducted and concrete advice and suggestions were put forward by the heads of relevant departments on different aspects of internationalization.
Interpretation and arrangements were made by the person in charge of the international cooperation division on internationalization work ranging from internationalization data filling; carding, adjustment, and perfection of the relevant internationalization policies; preparing of the internationalization promotion meeting; online office system for foreign affairs examination and approval; and training for foreign affairs secretaries.
